Methods of processing pile fabrics



w. L. WHITE 2,875,504 METHODS oF PROCESSING PILE: FABRICS March 3, 19592 Sheets-Sheet l Filed May 13, 1957 """klt March 3, 1959 Filed May 13,1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 BY www ATToRNEx/s color.

United States. Patent V2,375,504 MErrrons oF PROCESSING PILE FABRICSThis invention relates to methods of processing pile fabrics havingeither a woven or a knitted foundation or base and pile of differentheights formed from shrinkable and non-shrinkable yarns.

The aim of my inventionV is to make it possible to effect linearcontraction of the pile of the shrinkable yarns in fabrics of the kindreferred to without appreciably affecting the pile ends of thenou-shrinkable yarns, and without attendant stilfening or hardeningeither of the base or of the pile and causing them to be rough or coarseto the touch.

How the foregoing objective and its advantages are realized in practicewill appear from the following detailed description of the attacheddrawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a more or less diagrammatic view, in longitudinal section, ofone form of cut high pile fabric, as it comes in the greige from theloom or knitting machine, for the processing of which my improved methodis well adapted to create a fur-like effect with ends in imitation ofbeard hairs projecting from simulated underpelt.

Fig. 2 shows one form of apparatus for carrying out my improvedprocessing method.

Fig. 3 shows the finished material after having been washed and brushedto smooth the pile in one direction.

Fig. 4 shows another form of apparatus in which the processing can beaccomplished in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 5 shows a fragment of ornamented tuft pile upholstering or carpetfabric of the carved type such as can be produced in accordance with myinvention.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary diagrammatic view in section taken as indicatedby the angled arrows VI--VI in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 shows a fragment of ornamented loop pile upholstering fabricwhich, likewise, can be produced in accordance with my invention; and

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary diagrammatic view in section taken as indicatedby the angled arrows VIII--VIII in Fig. 7.

` The fabric exemplied and diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 1, mayhave either a woven or knitted base or foundation web 1. The fabric ofFig. l has long pile ends formed from shrinkable yarn designated 2 andrepresented as being composed of multiple iibers or iilaments andtwisted, and correspondingly long `pile ends formed from untwistednon-shrinkable yarn' and of one or more filaments designated 3. It is tobe understood that the yarns used for the pile may beeither of naturalor synthetic fibers having the required characteristics and of the sameor of different deniers, or `they may dilfer in In the fabric as itcomes from the loom or the knitting machine, the `pile ends are allsubstantially uniform in height as shown in Fig. 1.

In the apparatus of Fig. 2, the fabric is progressed, back facedownward, and at a uniform speed over a surface 4, which, asexemplified, may be electrically heated by an imbedded resistance coil5. As the fabric is advanced over the surface 4, it will be seen that,Vby action of the heat, the pile ends 2 of the shrinkable yarn areprogressively contracted linearly and open up, while the-` pile` ends 3'of the non-shrinkableV yarn' are unaffected and maintainedAsubstantially at; their original height as conventionally shown in Fig.2. Due to heating of the fabric from the back only, thercontraction ofthe shrinkable pile endsf'Z takes place,` for the most part, intheregion of their anchorage in the base 1, so that the distal portionsthereof remain` soft and smooth to the touch.

Asshown in thedrawings, the base material is: notshrunken by the heatingof the fabric or otherwise di-f mensionally` affected.

Various kinds ofshrinkable and nonshrinkable pilev yarns, such as listedbelow for example, canl beused*` Non-shrinkable Pre-shrunk dynelPre-shrunk viscose Pre-shrunk Orlon Pre-shrunk Daeron Natural fibershrinkable Spun dynel Spun Orlon 6 denier filament dynel 6 denierfilament Orlon lt is to be understood however, that heat shrinkablefibers other than those listed could, of course, `be used if desired orfound to be more advantageous.

Excellent and highly satisfactory results are obtained by passing thefabric back face downward over a heated surface maintained at atemperature of 390 F. It is to be understood however, that thetemperature can be varied within wide limits depending upon the time ofexposure. It is only necessary to maintain a minimum temperaturesuiiicient to heat the shrinkable fibers to their individual plasticflow point. This will vary with different fibers.

After being processed, as above explained, the fabric may be finallysubject to a washing and brushing treatment whereby the shrunken pileends are smoothed, together with the unshrunken ends, in one directionas shown in Fig. 3. By these subsequent steps, the fabric is made tosimulate natural animal fur with the unshrunken` ends extending, likebeard hairs, beyond simu- Vlated underpelt formed by the shrunken pileends.

ryarns were originallyof the sameheight as the pile tufts 3a formed fromnon-shrinkable yarns, and that said tufts 2a were shrunken as aconsequence of heating the back of the foundation web 1a after themanner described in connection with Fig. 4.

Similarly in the ornamental fabric of Figs. 7 and 8, it is to beunderstood that the pile loops 2b formed from "shrinkable yarns wereoriginally of the same height as the pile loops 3b formed fromnon-shrinkable yarn, and i that said loops 2b` `become shrunken aftertreatment in accordance with either of the procedures described inconnection withFigs. 2 and 4, respectively.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

l. A method of producing textile fabric having a pile formed fromshrinkable and non-shrinkable yarns and a Patented Mar. 3, 1-959'base'or foundation each, said method comprising the base .oi' foundationweb por the `pi1e `formed vfrom .the non-shrinkable'yarns, theinfluenceof heat being's'ubstan-- tially. limited lto' the portions of said pileyal-ns 'nearest said base or foundation web.

2.` Fabric with long pile ends in imitation of natural animal furproduced in accordance with the method dened in claim 1; y

3. Ornamentedcut'pilepcarpet or upholstering fabric or thefzlike'produced in accordance with the method deinedinclaimLLj'" 4. Ornamentedloop pile carpet orfupholstering fabricv or the llikelproduced inaccordance with the method defined 11;,jc1aim 1.

V5. vThe method according to claim 1, in which the linear contraction ofthe shrinkable pile is accomplished vReferences Citedv in the file ofthis patent l UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,448,032

Kennedy Aug. 31, 1948 2,699,593 Y Matthews Jan. 18, 1955 2,705,880Kinzinger et al. Apr. 12, 1955 2,754,578 Groat 1 July 17, 1956 2,815,558Bartovics et al. Dec. 10, 1957 2,857,652 McNally et al. Oct. 28, 1958`UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE 0F CORRECTION Column 3, line l,for "each" read Web Signed and sealed this 23rd day of June 1959.

( SEAL) Attest:

KARL AXLINE ROBERT C. WATSON Attesting Ocer Commissioner of Patents

